


Waiting For Her

by bebs77



Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Timelines, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Bittersweet, Bittersweet Ending, F/F, Implied Sexual Content, Mild Language, Sad with a Happy Ending, Self-Sacrifice, Timeline Shenanigans, lesbians gone right
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-21
Updated: 2021-02-24
Packaged: 2021-03-19 01:41:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,975
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29618652
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bebs77/pseuds/bebs77
Summary: Months after Chloe's funeral; Max still hadn't moved on and was still willing to try anything in order to bring her back. But nothing ever worked. Frustrated and full of grief, she finally gave up.Until a ghost like doe appears in front of her.Max must make another devastating choice.
Relationships: Maxine "Max" Caulfield/Chloe Price, Rachel Amber/Chloe Price
Comments: 13
Kudos: 22





	1. Divergence

**Author's Note:**

> Major spoilers for Life is Strange ahead! experience the absolutely amazing game for yourself first before reading onward, or don't I can't stop you ^_^

Maxine Caulfield; to some a hero, to many a nuisance. But right now she didn’t feel like either of those things. A hero is supposed to save people and even then she couldn’t save the one person that meant the most to her. Her best fucking friend. Arcadia Bay may still be in one piece thanks to her, but at what cost? In the end she was completely empty. Everything she tried never worked, it was all pointless. But now she was thinking she had truly gone insane, staring down an almost transparent doe that suddenly appeared in her room. Plagued by heavy bags that weighed down her eyes, Max hesitantly got up from her bed, clothed in her pajamas. “A-Are you real?” She whispered as her fingers reached out to touch the ghostly apparition but it stepped backwards until it was just out of arm's reach. _“A-Are you real?”_ the doe repeated with a similar voice to the girl it was mimicking. But it had a slight echo and hollowness to it that set it apart from the voice it was almost directly copying.

“What the hell?” Max was expecting her words to be repeated back to her like a few moments before, but all she heard was silence. The doe began to move ever so slightly closer to the girl, looking straight into her eyes. _“Follow.”_ It’s words drilled into her head in a mesmerizing way. Despite the rational part of her brain telling her not to follow, she did. Though just before leaving the boundaries of her room, she slipped on a casual jacket and a pair of trainers. Max assumed they weren’t going to stay on the campus for very long. The doe moved slowly but gracefully out into the quiet hallway, merely illuminated by the moonlight. 

~

After a while of following the ghostly doe, they came to a halt in a graveyard. The same graveyard that Chloe Elizabeth Price’s grave resided in. Max’s eyes became fixated on the gravestone, she hadn’t visited Chloe’s grave since the funeral. “Why did you bring me here?” Max asked the doe, now feeling the full effect of the chilly night air. _“Find her.”_ Her eyes widened, her hands forming into fists. “What?”

 _“Find her.”_ The doe repeated, now making itself clearer by standing directly behind Chloe’s gravestone. “Find her…” Max muttered, her breath being caught by the harsh winter air and carried into the wind. Her right palm suddenly began to light up, without paying much attention to the sudden change, she placed her palm on top of the gravestone. It was cold, obviously. But all her memories with Chloe began flooding back to her..even some memories that weren’t even her own. Max gasped and stumbled backwards. She saw who she thought looked exactly like...Rachel Amber. Max stepped towards the gravestone once more and placed her palm against it. Her heart felt like it was about to jump out of her chest, but regardless she continued. Even when she felt the flow of crimson from both her nostrils and the excruciatingly painful headache that overwhelmed her body. 

_“Find her.”_

The doe began to disappear as Max felt like she was about to pass out. Eventually the pain became too much and all she could see was darkness slowly enveloping her vision. 

~

Max felt light, almost like she was floating but not quite lifting off the ground. Around her was a completely white void. There was nothing, no trees, buildings or any sign of life at all. “You found her.” That voice...it was the doe again. But with a different voice than before, clearly belonging to someone female. It was soft and reassuring. “Where am I?” Max asked, moving her fingers up to the bottom of her nose assuming there must still be blood there, but nothing was there.

“In a void of your own making. You have the choice to return back to where you originally came from..or stay.” Max was speechless, her mind was racing and she was beyond confused. “Why would I stay?”

“For her.” The doe responded, earning a glance from the utterly confused teenager. It moved over to a majestic ball of light that hovered ever so slightly from the ground. Assuming there even was one. Max followed the doe, unaware of what she had caused. When she peered inside the ball, she saw the busy streets of Los Angeles. Then the inside of a semi messy apartment. Then finally..she saw her. Chloe fucking Price. 

Alive.

Then another person entered the apartment, long blond hair, the same outfit Max once wore, hazel eyes and her unmistakable earrings. That person was without a doubt, Rachel Amber. 

Then it hit Max all at once, like a semi truck packed full of realisation. She must’ve done something with her powers. But what? She didn’t know.

Max fell onto her knees. “Chloe..she’s alive.” Tears streamed down her cheeks, though she stood up and faced the doe once more when she saw Rachel practically leap into Chloe’s arms and embrace her in some sort of celebration. “What have I done?”

“You created a separate timeline from your own. As a consequence of that, your powers have faded. But I wasn’t lying when I said you could return to your own timeline. But the one you have created will cease to exist without your guidance. Do you understand, Max?”

“Why am I not there with them?” Max wiped the tears from her eyes, staring contently at the doe that had taken somewhat of a full form. “I’m afraid the perfect life that you seek can’t be achieved with your interference. Otherwise, either Chloe or Rachel are fated to be separated again. The cycle will continue.”

“I understand.”

The doe tilted it’s head. “What is your choice, Max?”

“Is there any other choice?”

The doe shook its head. “I’m afraid not.” Max sighed, knowing this was really the end of the road. Could she really stay as a spectator to a timeline she could never be a part of? A perfect timeline of her creation, yet she must suffer so it could thrive. 

“I’ll stay.” Max voiced, closing her eyes and allowing herself to relax. “Very well.” The doe began to fade away once again, but this time for good. “Goodbye, Maxine.”

“Yeah…” She retorted rather dryly as the doe left her alone in the void that was now her home. “I hope you can be happy, Chloe…”

**_“I’ll be waiting for you.”_ **


	2. The Butterfly Effect

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chloe and Rachel finally left Arcadia Bay behind, years later they settle down in an apartment in the ever lively city of Los Angeles. One day; Rachel comes back to the apartment bearing good news.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> semi spoilers for LIS: Before the Storm.

_Chloe Elizabeth Price; the wannabe punk that escaped the clutches of Arcadia Bay with her perfect accomplice by her side. The angel that redeemed her life. Someone who came into her life when she needed her the most. When the whole world had shut her out to fend for herself. Rachel Amber descended from the heavens and entered her life and had never left since. Yet, for the longest time..she couldn’t shake the feeling that something was missing. Like a missing piece in a jigsaw that was never filled in. A void in her life that nothing ever filled. Throughout her childhood, she had no friends. Nobody that ever showed any interest towards her. Eventually leading her down a path of self destruction; further accelerated by the death of her father._

_Rachel was the only light in her life that she ever saw. All the fondest memories in her life came from all the time she spent with her and_ **_only_ ** _her. But why did it feel like someone else was there for her? Someone invisible, an imaginary friend perhaps. But she never stooped that low during her time of desperation._

_~_

Chloe suddenly snapped awake from the dream-like state she was in. Then came the alcohol induced headache that hit her like a tidal wave. “Fuck..” she swore under her breath as she slowly rose up from her position on the bland, dark red couch she brought for a very cheap price a year or so ago. As she moved around, an abundance of beer bottles fell and clattered onto the carpet but didn’t smash. The blue haired punk looked like she had been through a car wash..without a car. Or a washing machine. Her blue strands of hair were all over the place, twisted and knotted together; looking like some kind of fucked up modern art. The smell of cigarette smoke and cannabis filled her nostrils once again, a smell that she thought she might get used to one day but still ended up taking her sense of smell by storm. It appeared she was no longer wearing her jacket that also had most of her belongings inside of it, the jacket was nowhere to be found so she assumed that Rachel took it.

“Rachel?” Chloe called out, but alas no response came from her companion. She assumed that her partner in crime must be out doing something. The lack of shoes by the apartment door proved her theory. Before taking a much needed shower, Chloe decided to get an answer to the question that was lingering on her brain. What exactly fucking happened last night? It was pretty obvious what occurred by just using her eyes to paint a picture, but she needed a straight answer. The bottles, cans and clothing littered around their shared living space like landmines were a very obvious indication. Also the partly filled ashtray was a factor too. 

**_CHLOE: did we party with a wild bear last night or something If so that motherfucker took my jacket_ **

Chloe sent the text with a slight smirk plastered onto her face, a trademark smirk of the rebel at this point. A few moments later, she got a response.

**_RACHEL: Am I really a wild bear to you?_ **

**_CHLOE: judging by the state of the apartment yeah_ **

**_CHLOE: where are u anyway?_ **

**_RACHEL: It’s a surprise._ **

**_CHLOE: is the surprise my jacket because holy shit what a hella cool surprise that would be_ **

**_RACHEL: Wait and find out, I’ll be back soon babe._ **

“Goddamn it.” Chloe groaned as she placed her phone face down on the coffee table next to the ashtray. Shower first, questions later. She finally got up fully from the couch and made her way to the bathroom. However, on the way to the bathroom, she spotted a majestic looking butterfly trying to leave through the window that was slightly open, but not enough for it to get through. The butterfly itself was an illuminous shade of blue, almost exactly the same colour as Chloe’s hair. “Here ya go buddy.” Chloe voiced as she opened the window slightly more than it previously was, allowing the butterfly safe passage. Though it didn’t move from it’s spot. “Huh..suit yourself then.” After that, she turned her back and briefly glanced back at the window, only to see that the butterfly had disappeared. 

Chloe brushed it off as just some hangover bullshit and proceeded to undress herself from the clothes that still remained on her person. She climbed into the shower and allowed the warm water to flow across her body and through her hair until it was fully drenched.

~

A little while later, Chloe was finished, clothed and back on the sofa. Though she had taken a few minutes to clear up some of the bottles and cans that remained on the floor. Not like she cared about the mess, but the less broken glass shards in her or Rachel’s feet the better. As she simply waited for her partner to return by trying to entertain herself through watching television; she couldn’t shake the overwhelming feeling that she was being intently watched by someone or something. Their glare burning into the back of her skull as she hesitantly checked over her shoulder. Only to see that same blue butterfly perched on the top of the tap that hung over the kitchen sink.

Upon seeing it once more, she felt a weird and remarkable feeling. Like the feeling someone would get after seeing an irreplaceable friend after years apart from each other. But she only had one friend.. _well friend was putting it very lightly._ She had a best friend that after years of being there for each other, formed a relationship. An unbreakable bond that couldn’t be severed by anything or anyone. Even knife wounds apparently. 

Soon enough Chloe heard the door open and shut immediately afterwards. Prompting her to divert her attention to the door like an overexcited puppy. “Oh look, it’s the jacket thief.” Chloe voiced with her signature smirk forming on her lips once again. “I prefer the Angel, but I’ll settle for jacket thief.” Rachel responded with a smirk of her own. She was indeed wearing Chloe’s jacket that she took from her while her punk slept rather peacefully. “This good news better be good.”

“If it wasn’t good then it wouldn’t be good news now would it?” The aspiring model returned. “Point taken.” Chloe rolled her eyes, then moved over on the couch so Rachel could sit next to her. “Well?”

“I got the job!” Her angel almost literally burst with excitement as she gave Chloe a really, really solid hug. Which Chloe returned with her own. That smile Rachel had on her face gave her such a warm feeling. “Hey, hey! Tone it down with the touchy feely shit.” Chloe exclaimed with a groan before breaking away the hug, but ultimately decided that she couldn’t maintain her tough girl status enough to contain her own excitement. “Ah fuck it, who am I kidding? C’mere.” Following that, their excitement was amplified through a passionate series of kisses they shared. Chloe’s eyes initially widened when their lips made contact; mostly from the surprise but that didn’t last very long. Her heart beated faster, her mind raced as her lips found their place against another, then against skin as her hands began to wander all around the girl she adored. 

_~_

_Several years ago…_

_“Chloe! What would it take to convince you?” After hearing those words from Rachel, not even the punk knew herself. What more could Rachel give her? After what she said during the Tempest..after everything they had been through. Having Rachel around was enough for her. But then it clicked..there was one thing. “How about...um…” Chloe had no idea how to ask for something like this, afraid of being rejected or hated by the beautiful and amazing girl in front of her..curiously awaiting her answer. As she had no idea how to put what she wanted into words; she took a step forward. Leaning in like she was kissing thin air..then pulling back after realising how stupid she must look. “Oh.” Rachel finally spoke, heat rushed to the rebel’s cheeks after it seemed like that got the message across. Chloe almost jumped out of her anxiety filled skin when Rachel took her hands into her own, their bodies almost touching as the light of the street lights illuminated them. Without any interruptions and fueled with passion, love and determination the blonde girl leaned forward and planted her lips on the pair that belonged to Chloe Price._

_“Is that convincing enough?”_

_“Ye-” Chloe couldn’t finish her sentence before she was brought into yet another kiss, even moving her hands up to rest on the other girl’s hips. Before she knew it, the moment had passed and they had only a small amount of time to pack up and leave Arcadia Bay for good._

_~_

The duo continued their intimate interactions with one another until the early hours of the night. In the aftermath of what occurred between them, Chloe lit a cigarette and began to smoke, completely in the nude that was. Albeit now resting on something much more comfortable, that something in question being the double bed they both shared. “That was one hell of a celebration.” Chloe voiced, puffing the smoke out of her mouth and into the open air. “With a distinct lack of alcohol.” Rachel added, earning her a glare. “ Which somebody drank to the very last drop last night.” Chloe playfully elbowed her as a resort. “Ha ha.” Rachel turned over to face her admittedly stunning girlfriend, letting her finger gilde down Chloe’s arm tattoo while their eyes met. “You are amazing, Chloe Price.”  
  
“You got the job, not me.” The punk joked, with a laugh to back it up. “Shut the hell up and kiss me, Price.”

“Gotcha.”

_~_

In the middle of the night, Chloe found herself to be wide awake. Her angel however was sleeping like a rock next to her. With her arm entangled around the one marked with a tattoo. Carefully, making sure not to wake the sleeping beauty. Chloe managed to get herself free, she slipped on a loose white t-shirt and the dark blue underwear she removed much earlier. 

_"Can you hear me?”_

Chloe heard a voice call out, echoing throughout their silent apartment. This made her shiver and made her think about many horror movie cliches but now wasn’t the time for that. She followed the sound of the voice to the kitchen. Where the bright blue butterfly still remained. But soon enough one more joined the butterfly that was originally by itself. Then another joined, and another. Soon...the whole kitchen was full of blue butterflies identical to the original one that Chloe saw in the bathroom. “What the fuck?” She voiced in response but it was merely a whisper. 

Then every single butterfly came together into a swarm that slowly began to form the faint outline of a person. _“Can you hear me?”_ Their voice was louder, closer than it was before. Soon the butterflies took the full form of a person Chloe had never seen in her life. A girl with brown hair, freckles and a fairly short hair style. But why did she look so familiar?

**_“I have waited for you for so long, Chloe.”_ **

Her voice was almost distorted and warped..so inhuman but so familiar. Chloe’s thought was broken when she felt someone from behind her grasp her hand, very tightly.

It was Rachel..and she could see exactly what Chloe could. A swarm of butterflies..that formed a person..no, an entity that was speaking to her.

_“What the hell is that?"_


	3. Paradox

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I always find concluding a story to be the hardest part of writing, so I hope this conclusion did the rest of the story justice.
> 
> This was a joy to write and I really appreciate all the comments, kudos and bookmarks!

_Maxine Caulfield; the forgotten saviour, desperate and paralyzed by loneliness and regret. Her only chance to get what she wanted was laid out in front of her. After years of waiting and observing a timeline she was never a part of. Like a tragic god that was doomed to be entangled with loneliness, a fate that she never wanted. Yet one that she chose for herself. Over the years that she had spent imprisoned in an endless white void, she was slowly manifesting inside of the timeline. An act of selfishness as she was aware her interference could tear Rachel and Chloe apart once again. But she didn’t waver, her determination to see Chloe again was stronger than that. Even if this isn’t the Chloe that died to protect Arcadia Bay, the Chloe that remembered her._

_Max only had one goal and she was determined to see it through._

_~_

Chloe faced the figure that claimed to know her, yet it was a person she didn’t recognize. But she couldn’t ignore that feeling that somewhere she had seen this girl. “Who are you?” The punk finally decided to speak up, with her angel by her side she felt safer. Knowing that not even crazy supernatural shit would pull them apart. _“Who I am doesn’t matter.”_ Chloe’s grip on Rachel’s hand tightened as a response to this. “It clearly does fucking matter! Why do I feel like..I know you? Or knew you…?” 

_“You have the feelings of another Chloe that came before you, but not her memories.”_ The swarm of butterflies responded, still fluttering close to each other to form the resemblance of a human being.“ Rachel let go of her girlfriend’s hand and stepped forward. “Cut the bullshit and just leave us alone.” she snapped, letting some of her inner anger out.

_“I can’t do that. Not after everything I have done just to speak with Chloe one last time.”_

“To hell with that! Come on, Chloe.” Rachel turned to leave the butterflies be and actually get some well deserved sleep, but her partner didn’t move. “Chloe?” 

“What do you mean one last time? How much time do you have?” Chloe asked, showing a moderate level of concern for the collection of butterflies. _“Not enough.”_

_“If you want answers, please follow.”_

Following that, the swarm of butterflies moved towards the apartment door and somehow went directly through it, like a swarm of ghosts. “Chloe, what the hell are you doing?” Rachel voiced her concern, putting a hand on Chloe’s shoulder to halt her movement towards the door. “Please..let me do this.” The rebel retorted, taking further steps towards the door before leaving completely. Leaving a betrayed Rachel in her wake. 

~

Chloe eventually came across an empty beach, where the swarm of butterflies were waiting for her. She stepped out onto the sand, battling against the sudden harsh winds that hit her as she approached the figure. Suddenly the swarm began to dissipate and what was left behind made Chloe take a few steps back. The figure had taken full form, now a fully realised brunette with freckles lining her cheeks. “Hey Chloe…” She said rather sheepishly. “I’ll keep this quick..because I really don’t have a lot of time left.”

“For years I’ve watched over you and Rachel..but not in a creepy way! More like a kind of god..but all I could do is observe. That is because everything you see here was more or less created by me.” Max explained. “My name is Max, or..was Max.” Chloe’s eyes widened in response. “Max…”

“Chloe, I have a question for you.”

**_“Would you like to remember me?”_ **

Chloe hesitated before answering, the violent wind thrashing against her. “Yes…” she said with all the confidence she could muster. 

“Stop!”

Rachel called out from behind them, the wind became stronger in a response to her presence. “Rachel..don’t you understand? This is my chance to get rid of this feeling I’ve had my whole life...like a part of me was missing.” The angel made her way towards the rebel and embraced her. “I do understand. But something feels...wrong. If this is really a friend of yours from a different time..then she’s changed.” Rachel fought against the wind that thrashed against her skin. “Please..Chloe..” She buried her face into Chloe’s shoulder, gripping onto her with all her might. 

“Max, I’m sorry. But I can’t be your Chloe.”

The wind came to a halt, the broken Maxine was down on her knees in the sand. “Well..I tried..” Her form began to crack, starting from her arms. Seeping a blinding light from the cracks. “I’m sorry I tried to come between you. I guess..I deserve this...for being..selfish...and..stupid.”

**“I couldn’t live without you..Chloe.”**

“But..it’s alright..because..I-In the end..I’ll still be able to see you…”

“Max? What are you-”

“Goodbye..Chloe.”

Max’s entire body shattered all at once, leaving only specks of dust that were taken by the wind. Her struggle was over.

But her efforts were worth it. At least for her.

“Chloe..are you?” Rachel began to speak but stopped when she saw her blue haired girlfriend in tears. “Why..am I..crying?”

“You miss her...and honestly I feel it too.”

Rachel and her lover stared up at the sky together, watching as the dust floated away. “I hope you find **your** Chloe, Max.”

_“I hope you will always wait for her.”_

**_“Because one day you will find her.”_ **

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed! more to come soon!


End file.
